Fan of Game of Thrones? 5 Reasons Why Westworld Is for You

With the final season of Game of Thrones out of reach until 2019, now is the perfect time to dig into a new series. Love Thrones for the sophisticated storytelling, strong female leads, or gents with beards? Check, check check. Here are the five reasons whyWestworld is the best next choice for fans of GoT.

1. Theories galore

Now that the secret is out about Jon Snow, how will fans spend their Reddit-time? If you thought Game of Thrones was ripe with fan-theories, Westworld is next level. Try to solve the puzzle before the series reveals the answer, or, if that’s not for you, just read up and enjoy the ride. The show’s own all-knowing maester, co-creator Jonah Nolan, just might play along with you.

2. More powerful women to love

Daenerys, Cersei, Arya, Sansa: While it can be hard to imagine any characters rivaling these fierce females as far as storylines and fantastic quotes, Westworld does a darn good job with Thandie Newton’s Maeve and Evan Rachel Wood’s Dolores. It’s their narrative, we’re just living in it.

3. An epic feeling that never gets old

One of the best things about GoT is its massive scale; practically every episode delivers a mix of stunning cinematography, incredible action, and nail-biting tension. Westworld, with its video-game inspired shots, sprawling vistas, and complex plotlines upholds that same promise while incorporating some new tricks along the way.

4. Ramin Djawadi

After multiple Emmy nominations and a theme song that gets your heart racing, composer Ramin Djawadi deserves his own call-out on this list. The music he’s created for GoT is surprising and breathtaking, and withWestworld he gets to stretch a whole new set of muscles, including some killer renditions of contemporary songs like Soundgarden’s “Black Hole Sun.”

5. Reality-meets-fantasy

Let’s be clear: Fantasy and science-fiction are two different genres, but they often appeal to a similar fan-base. One of the things audiences love most about Thrones is its fine balance between a completely made-up world, and true-to-life emotions and messages. Do we want to see battles for a throne? Yes. Do we want to watch women triumphing in the realms of men? Yes. Do we also want dragons? Hell, yes.

Westworld embraces these same beliefs — self-determination, female empowerment, weaponized animals — but with the added benefit of being set in the future. So while GoT will always feel like a false past, Westworld and its exploration of humanity offers up a fascinating question: Could Westworld ever be our future?

Head to HBO.com to get started and watch the first episode of Westworld for free — no HBO subscription required.